Passion - There's nothing else worth living for
by Lauriesf
Summary: New episode and hopefully, season, of BT. Set some time after Deep Dark. My own version of what could have happened in the new season. Complete story: seven chapters. Enjoy! Please R and R :)
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from the Blood Ties series or books, only my ideas!_

_This takes place about a year after the end of the show. Hope it's not OOC as I last watched the series some time ago and it's the first fan fiction I write about it._

_The title is one of Henry's quotes in "Blood Price", the first episode of the series, if I'm not mistaken._

_My apologies to Mike and Coreen's big fans: they are nothing more here than stock characters. The story is all about Henry and Vicki._

Passion - there's nothing else worth living for

Mike Celluci was on sick leave because of a couple of broken ribs. They'd arrested a suspect for a double homicide down town but the operation had not gone smoothly. So here he was, brooding at home, not being able to do a single movement without hurting like hell. No basketball games with his buddies, no DIY around the house, not even gardening in the backyard. He was bored stiff and to top it all, he had had difficulties sleeping at night because of the pain killers he had to take.

That afternoon, he'd taken a stroll outside and then sat on the couch for what he thought would be a quick nap but had just awoken to see the sun setting on the horizon.

He got up, his mind still fuzzy, got himself a cup of lukewarm coffee from the machine and idly headed for the door, realizing he had not even gotten his newspaper that morning. God, he was getting lazy! He really needed to get back to work, do something, for God's sake!

He opened the door, squinting at the sunset then bent to retrieve his paper from the doormat. A dark shadow suddenly loomed over him. He briskly stood up to see, to his utter amazement, no less than the predatory eyes of Henry Fitzroy staring at him, a winning smile on his handsome, aristocratic features.

"What the hell...?" was all he could utter.

"'Evening, .Constable.. I take it you're a little surprised to see me?" Henry said, obviously enjoying himself.

"Fitzroy, what the hell are you doing here?!"

"Now, Mike, where are your manners? Is it a way to welcome an old friend?" Henry grinned at him, then pushed him aside and got into the house. "Why don't you offer me a drink...", laughing at Mike's worried face, he added, "no, no, not that type of drink, of course! I'm satiated right now", he winked at him and Mike muttered. "Good for you!"

"I might ask for some later, though, that is... if you make me mad and don't answer my questions properly...", Henry added, his head cocked to one side, looking at Mike intently.

"What do you want, Fitzroy?" Mike demanded, looking at him askance while pouring some bourbon in two crystal glasses he then set on the coffee table.

Fitzroy came to sit in front of him and cupped the glass with his hands, swirling the amber liquid absent-mindedly. "Where is Vicki, Mike? She's nowhere to be found..."

"Your guess is as good as mine, Fitzroy."

"I went to her office, there's nothing there. I've been told Coreen had left too. What the hell is going on?"

"Why did you come back, Fitzroy?", Mike asked coldly.

"Answer- my - question, Mike", Fitzroy snarled as he spelled out the words, his already dark eyes turning a darker shade every second.

"You don't scare me, your Lordship!" Mike mocked him, "you answer my question first and then I might comply."

"Fine!", Fitzroy growled, trying to calm down, anger still flaring in his voice, "I had someone checking on her. He reported to me every so often, saying there was nothing to report really, she was her usual self, still working as a P.I., still having trouble with her eyesight, still meeting you from time to time... Then suddenly he texts me she's disappeared, vanished into thin air, her office is empty, her landlord not knowing where she's gone... I asked him to investigate but he's got nothing! So, this is why I'm here!"

"I got it You're pissed off because she's no longer in your power!" Mike said viciously, knowing it would hit too close to home.

Fitzroy glared at him as if he was going to rip his head off, his fists tightening, then he took a deep breath. "No, Mike, I'm just worried sick, goddamn it! Now, answer me. Where is she? If there's one person who knows, that would be you!"

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, I don't have the slightest idea", Mike replied, worry showing on his face as well. "When I saw you on my doorstep, I thought you knew... I thought the same of you, that you'd be the one to know!"

"Yeah, sure! As if she cared about me!"

"Stop your antics, Fitzroy, for crying out loud! She adores you, she's been obsessed with you ever since she met you... Don't tell me you don't know!" Mike cut him short. "That really is the last straw! Have you got any idea how hurt she was when you decided to leave? What she's been through? I was the one to see her wither with pain a little more every day and I couldn't even talk her out of it because she wouldn't listen! She wouldn't even talk about you, damn it!" he hissed.

Henry looked into Mike's eyes. "I don't get it, Mike... She told me you deserved to be offered another chance, that she'd give it a try because you were a good man and I let her be, even if it broke my heart, because I knew she was right. I thought if you could get together, you would take good care of her and she'd have a good life. She'd made it clear she had come to terms with her blindness, that she accepted it, that she'd find a way to make it work with you... And now you're telling me she didn't even try?" Henry was yelling. "I had offered to turn her and leave with me, you know, to cure her blindness, to be her mentor, to be her lover... I thought she knew she was my everything, she was my world... that I would give anything to protect her. I thought she'd made her choice!" Henry said, a sad look on his face, his jaw tensing.

"She did try, I have to give her that. She tried to make it work with me, make me happy, even be happy herself. She never talked about you. It was too painful for her and she also knew it was too painful for me too. But the old Vicki was gone, her heart had left when you had left. She never smiled unless she felt she had to, she didn't even bother to have her eyes checked regularly, she always made excuses not to go out, enjoy herself, it was work, only work and even that was hard on her because her partner had left her. Coreen called me one day to say she was worried, that Vicki had refused several easy cases, good money she badly needed. I said she needed time to accept you were gone, but things got from bad to worse. I came one evening with Chinese takeaway to ask for her help on a case, as I used to do before you came into her life." Henry winced at that, knowing how close Mike and Vicki had been, how important these work sessions had been to them before he'd barged into her life and gotten hold of her time and attention but Mike went on, his eyes lost on the coffee table, his fingers tracing circles on the edge of the glass. "Anyway, I thought it might cheer her up so I did as I did before, I let myself in without knocking. She was huddled on her chair, cradling a glass of whiskey full to the brim and she was crying. I didn't want her to see me watch her so I backed into the corridor and coughed, then I got inside. She barely looked up at me. I told her why I'd come, so she tried to be cheerful about it but she hardly ate or talked during the evening and I finally left early, knowing she just wanted me gone. I called Coreen the next day. She said it was not unusual for her to drink at work, in fact, she said she thought Vicki drank more than she ate... Did your man tell you how thin she'd become?! Nothing to report, uh?!"

"No, he never did, or maybe I wasn't listening... All I needed to know was she was with you, that she was seeing you, that you came to see her. He even said she stayed at your place from time to time... I was expecting him to tell me soon she'd moved in with you..." Henry whispered, brushing his hands through his hair and pressing them on his temples.

"She did stay with me, always in the guest room, except for one time she came into my bedroom..." He said hesitantly, seeing the killer's look on Fitzroy's face. "She had been in a cheery mood for a couple of weeks, she obviously was trying to make amends for that time at the office. I told her it was not reasonable, that she should be damn sure before going to third base but she did not relent. Damn! Fitzroy! I'm just a man, not a saint! And she was very persuasive...",he added, eyeing the vampire.

"Don't apologize, Mike. I left her so she could do exactly that with you, so she could find what she needed, well, what I thought she needed...", Henry replied, brushing off Mike's comment. "So, what's your point?"

"We made love, she was tender and passionate too. She'd never been like that before with me. It was awesome sex, believe me..."

"Don't push it too far, Mike..." Henry warned him. "I might not be able to hold back my wrath if you tease me too much..."

"My point is, I realized it wasn't me she was making love to. When she came, it was your name she screamed..." Mike hissed, averting his eyes so Henry would not see the hurt and shame in his gaze.

Henry opened his mouth then closed it, at a loss for words.

"She didn't realized it first. She went to the bathroom to have a shower and then I heard her gasp. Later I heard her crying. I was appalled at the situation. If another woman had done that to me, I would have shouted at her but Vicki, she was bruised and battered, I didn't want to add embarrassment to her suffering. When she opened the door, I simulated sleep and I heard her sigh with relief, get her clothes on and leave quietly. After that night, it wasn't the same any more. We were clumsy around each other, we barely talked on the phone when I checked on her... Then about a month after that, she disappeared. No note to say where she was going, no phone call, her cell is disconnected, she doesn't even answer her emails. Believe me, Fitzroy, I tried everything I could think of to find her but it's like she's never existed. She hasn't even used her credit card. I can't track her down if she doesn't!"

Fitzroy had remained silent, his head in his hands, his elbows resting on the coffee table.

"Say something, damn it!", Mike blurted out.

"I'm sorry is the first thing that comes to mind, right now..." Mike looked at him in dismay. He'd never thought conceited Henry Fitzroy could one day utter those words. "You're sorry?"

"Yes, I am, my friend. Truly sorry. I'm sorry for you because you deserved better treatment, not that it is her fault, but still... I'm sorry for her. I cannot imagine how pained she must have felt when she realized what she had done... And I must say I'm sorry for myself, for not acting as I had planned and turn her into my mate. It would have been for the better, as I reckon. I was a complete ass. I should have trusted my intuition and she'd be with me now, safe and sound, not into the unknown," he added, looking at Mike wistfully.

Mike was speechless. He could finally see he'd been wrong to lash at Henry. They both loved her and wanted the best for her. He'd finally understood that, accepted it. And he'd also accepted that if he wanted to be completely honest with himself, Vicki desperately needed Fitzroy, and not only because he could cure her handicap. Vicki belonged with Fitzroy. They'd had their time but it was over. Mike and Vicki were ancient history, had probably been ever since her gaze had met Henry's.

The vampire looked at him intently. "You do understand that she is in great danger, out there, wherever that is, right?"

"She knows how to fend for herself, Fitzroy," Mike tentatively replied.

"No, she can't any more, or at least that won't last. From what I know, her sight is deteriorating rapidly and she is no ordinary girl. She attracts evil, for God's sake! Don't you see? As long as she was being watched by my man, as long as she was with you and Coreen, she was relatively safe. I could get here in a couple of hours and help her. Now we don't even have a clue about where she went."

"I don't get it, Fitzroy... A couple of hours? I thought you'd told her you intended to move to Vancouver... Where were you all that time?" Mike demanded.

"The Falls..." Henry answered.

"Like in Niagara Falls?You're kidding, right? I looked for you everywhere! She looked for you everywhere! But not there! She sent requests to all the cities on the west coast, asking for the help of her fellow colleagues there and when I realized that she was spending all her time on it, I took pity on her and sent requests myself, through the police department. We got nothing! I know for sure she didn't, because if she had found something she would surely have lost that forlorn look on her face", he added, wincing at the memory of Vicki's sad gaze.

"I know how to disappear when I need to", Henry stated, as if that was not obvious. He hadn't survived for 470 years by being an easy prey for whoever was after him.

"Well, now what?" Mike asked.

"Now, we work hand in hand to find her. If something ever happens to her, I won't outlive her."

_TBC _

_Please R and R: a review always makes my day!_


	2. Chapter 2

Blood ties – Passion – there's nothing else worth living for - Chapter 2

"So what do we do now?", Mike wondered aloud.

They looked at each other. "Coreen", they said at the same time.

"When was the last time you saw her or talked to her?" Henry asked him.

"Couple of days after Vicki left. I went to her office, Coreen was there, said Vicki had left without even leaving a note, only two hundred dollars in an envelop with Coreen's name written on it. Coreen said she was not taking the money and asked me what to do with it. I said if Vicki had left it, she had to take it. Plus, it was not as if she didn't need it, right? I asked her what she was gonna do. She said she was leaving Toronto for Ottawa. She has cousins there. she hoped they could host her, time for her to find a job and figure out what she was gonna do. She said it was not the same without you and Vicki. She needed a fresh start, somewhere where she would not constantly be thinking about you."

"Ottawa? Ok, that's a start... At least, she must still have her cell so we can contact her and see if Vicki's called her. The thing about the money, it kind of makes me believe Vicki might have drawn money from her bank account so she couldn't be tracked down through her credit card. Did you check it out?"

"Now, listen, buddy", Mike said reprovingly, "I'm not the FBI, you know. I don't have extended authorisation to do whatever I want. I'm just a cop, for God's sake! I couldn't get that information, even if I tried."

"Well, you can't, but I can..." Henry replied, his voice trailing off, his mind already on the next move. He got his phone from his jacket and searched through his personal data base, then dialled the number. "Hey, Jim...yeah, hi, buddy... yeah, I know, long time, no see... ok, I will, you got it", he said, laughing at something the other party was telling him, "Listen, I need a favor... Can you swoop into a bank account and tell me if the person has recently withdrawn a lot of money from it? Yeah, you're right – girlfriend... She's left me, I want to find her, see if she's ok, nothing illegal here... Thanks. Ok, her name's Victoria Nelson, bank account in Toronto. I don't know the name of the bank though... Ok, thanks, text me if you find anything. Right... Talk to you later, bye." He hung up and turned to Celluci. "Next step, Coreen. How long do you need to pack a few things? I'm booking a hotel while you do so..."

They took Fitzroy's car and arrived in Ottawa while it was still dark. Mike had called his boss before leaving to say he had a family emergency and had to take a few more days off while Henry was booking the hotel room. They had to get there before sunrise.

While Henry rested, Mike made phone calls to try and find Coreen. It took him the most part of the day, but he finally got her cousins' address. He had not slept much in the car but it wasn't time for that. The sun had just gone down when he left the diner across the street from the hotel where he'd grabbed some food while waiting for Fitzroy to wake up, or whatever vampires did when they sensed night had returned. He got into the hotel room as Fitzroy was sitting on the bed, yawning and stretching his limbs. "Ok, let's go, your Lordship, I've got the address." he said teasingly.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Constable", Henry said coolly, "But I do have more urgent needs to tend to..."

"You're kidding me, right? Don't tell me you're going to... feed?!" Mike was appalled.

"Well, I take it you've just had dinner... from what I reckon, and now, it's my turn...", Fitzroy answered, walking towards Mike and sniffing at him.

Mike took a step back, obviously disgusted. "Yuck! Fitzroy! You can be such a beast!"

"Now, now, Mike... I'm a vampire. That's what vampires do, they feed! I won't be long, don't worry!"

"I'm not worrying about that! I'm worried about the poor girl – I take it you prefer girls, right?" Mike hissed.

"Yes, I much prefer girls: so tender, so glad to be of any help, so willing to be at my beck and call... You should not pity them though – they love what I do to them, they always beg for more! But I was raised a gentleman – I know when to stop, for their own good, and I never, ever hurt them if they're good girls... Men, it's a different story..." Fitzroy winked at him, his eyes getting ink dark, his lips curling on his already long teeth.

"Screw you, Fitzroy! I'm not scared!" Mike said, his right hand instinctively feeling for his handgun.

"Don't be such a child, my dear! If I wanted to bite you, that little thing wouldn't be of any help. I'm faster, stronger and much more wicked than you can even fathom!" Henry boasted before swiftly disappearing through the door.

.Henry returned an hour later, feeling as refreshed as if he'd drunk from the Fountain of Youth. Mike didn't talk to him. He was too disgusted even to look at him. He still had to sit next to him in the car though! Vicki really had the knack for making them do the strangest things, like having her two lovers spending time together so they could find her!

They reached the address around 9:30 and rang the bell. It was Coreen who opened the door. She looked surprised to see them but she hugged them both, clearly happy.

"What are you two doing here?" She first said, then, not letting them time to answer, "What are you two doing together? This is weird! And believe me, I know weird when I see it!" She snorted. "Why didn't you call me?" She went on, excitedly.

Henry took a step closer, cupped her face with his long, elegant fingers, and kissed her hard on her mouth. She almost swooned. He took a step back and then grinned at her. "Shut up, Coreen..." He said in his low, husky voice. "We're here to talk about Vicki. We need to find her. We didn't call for fear you'd know something and would not want to share the information with us. We needed to make sure you wouldn't scamper off."

"Well..." Coreen said, fumbling for words, her mind still hazy from the vampire's kiss. "I guess it's gonna be a long night. Let me get my coat and we'll find some quiet place where we can talk. I don't want my cousins to overhear our conversation, if you see what I mean..." She added.

They headed back to the hotel and stopped at a coffee shop on the way – yes, it was definitely going to be a long night...

On the way back, Coreen told them she hadn't heard from Vicki since she had left and that she had no idea where she could have gone. Yet, she was most willing to help them.

"All right, Coreen", Fitzroy said, sitting next to her, "I know you think you have nothing to give us but you might have noticed something you're not even aware of... Tell us anything you can think of", he said, looking at her expectantly.

"What can I tell you that you don't already know, Henry...?" She glanced at him in embarrassment, folding her hands on her lap, "Other than she thought you had left her behind. She was very bitter about it. I told her she had chosen, that you were not responsible for the situation. She was aware of it, yet she felt you had betrayed her... I'm sorry, Henry", she winced, seeing him breathe in deeply. "You have to understand she was very lonely...", her voice trailed off as she knew Vicki's behavior had been very incoherent.

"I was too, Coreen", he stated, her words hitting a little bit too close to home.

"Forgive her, Henry. She had her reasons."

"We'll bridge that gap when we come to it, ok?" He answered, patting her knee. "What else did she tell you that could be of any help in finding her? We need something to start with if we want to track her down and that would probably be her job. She's becoming blind, she can't possibly be a P.I. any more. What else could she do?"

"She lives for her job, Henry. She's good at it... no, no, let me reformulate, she excels in it. She cannot possibly be thinking about doing something else..."

Henry raised an eyebrow at Mike. "What do you think?"

"I checked with the police department to see if she'd asked for a desk job. I'd told her to do so, that they'd take her back. Yes, she's good and they would have gladly used her as an instructor. They have positions for the disabled and she could have applied for one but she didn't."

"Ok, that's an idea", Coreen cut in. "What if she had decided to do that somewhere else? Fresh start... I know she hated being resented by her former colleagues and most of all, she didn't want people who had known her as "Victory Nelson" to pity her. Why don't we send requests to other police departments to know if she's applied for a position?"

"Very unlikely", Mike replied. "It would be a waste of time. She's not stupid. She knows it'll be too easy to find her. When you fill in that kind of request, they check with your former employer. We'd know right away where she is. But...", he paused, gazing in the distance, then snapped his fingers as if he'd just had an epiphany. "What if she's applied for a similar job at the university?"

"All right. Let's say that's a start", Henry replied, nodding at Mike. "Now, we know she can't drive, so she would need to take the plane and I got a text from Jim. He says she's closed her bank account but had barely a thousand dollars on it, not much to last long." He turned to Coreen and explained. "See, we wondered if she'd try to find me in Vancouver but now I know she's given up on me and she can't afford a long-distance flight, I think we can surmise she's still in Canada."

He took out his smartphone and logged onto the Net. "Let's see which universities offer courses in criminology..."

Mike and Coreen had fallen asleep for a long time but Henry was still browsing the websites, looking for clues, reading all the pages he could find related to teaching criminology in Eastern Canada. Some websites were not well-organized and he wasted a lot of time. When his phone's screen suddenly went blank, he snarled and almost threw it at the wall. Mike lifted his head from the pillow. "What?" He inquired.

"Bloody phone just crashed!"

"Ok, just cool off. Let me see." Mike motioned for the phone. Henry handed it to him with a look of exasperation. "Don't ask me to calm down. She's out there and she's in danger. I can't bear it, Celluci."

"We'll find her." Mike looked up at him and handed him back the phone after replacing the battery and putting the lid back on. "There," he said, "sometimes you just need to reboot the system."

"Thanks," Henry mumbled.

"Wow, a thank you from his royal highness... I'm moved to tears!" Mike teased him, making Henry chuckle. "What did you find?" Celluci said, nodding at the phone.

Fitzroy held up his hand, flipping through the web pages. "Gotcha!" He suddenly muttered.

"Got her?" Mike asked, coming to stand next to him.

Henry held the phone up so Mike could see the screen. Vicki's face was at the top of a page explaining the content of the course she was to teach for the coming semester, a semester that happened to have started the day before.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Blood Ties - Passion : there's nothing else worth living for – Chapter 3

"Where's that? " Celluci inquired.

"Bishop's university in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Actually, it's south of Sherbrooke, in Lennoxville. They have a Department of Sociology which offers courses for a B.A. in Criminology as well as undergraduate studies. Apparently, she'll be teaching the junior students. It's a three and a half-hour drive. We can be there tomorrow and... she teaches evening classes – perfect! " Then he added: "Get yourself some sleep while I go hunting," and winked at Mike, then he looked at himself in the mirror, grinned at his reflection, grabbed his jacket and left.

They woke up Coreen after Henry had returned and left to reach Montreal before sunrise. On the way, they discussed their strategy. They decided to lay low during the day, not show themselves in town, in case she might see them.

She was teaching the 8:30 course and they had arrived before her and sat at the back of the room. Students had filled the lecture theater steadily and the place was full. People were excitedly discussing the new professor. She seemed to be the talk of the town. Henry chatted with a couple of very enthusiastic girls who told him all about her course. "She tells us about her cases, she makes it so real... and all the boys are in love with her. The poor thing is becoming blind, you know..." Henry winced at this. "But she's so great, everybody wants to help her carry her things and drive her where she needs to go. Not that she accepts though. She's made it clear she doesn't want anybody to pity her... Ah, here she comes!" They gasped, turning their attention to the door.

Vicki walked in the room, greeting her students and sat with one leg on the edge of the desk. She was dressed in her favorite jeans and leather jacket. She was like the old Vicki, except her glasses were thicker and her gaze was betraying the fact she wasn't seeing much anymore.

Coreen felt Henry tense next to her and saw him fist his hands on his knees, leaning forward as if he wanted to stand and run to her. Celluci saw it too and grabbed his arm, shaking his head at him. "Wait. You don't want to put her in an awkward position in front of her students, do you? " Mike warned him.

A student asked Vicki a question about her previous lecture and she started answering him, her eyes sweeping the room. She paused in the middle of a sentence. She'd just spotted them. Her eyes locked with Henry's. He tentatively smiled at her. Everyone in the room turned to stare at him. Fitzroy felt as if time had hung still. The bond between them was so strong, it was almost palpable. Her breathing had become erratic and she was now hyperventilating.

She suddenly stood up, apologizing for not feeling well and briskly left the room. Henry jumped to his feet, took the steps of the theater two at a time and left behind her.

As soon as he had disappeared through the doorway, uproar swept through the room. Coreen glanced at Mike, motioning to him for them to leave. They got outside and sat on a bench. Right now, they knew they had no business being with Henry and Vicki.

Vicki had left the building at a run, only slowing down when she had to descend the steps outside then walked as briskly as she could towards the stretch of lawn in front of the university. She rounded an old oak tree in the middle and laid her back to it, aware trying to hide from him was useless. He suddenly appeared in front of her, as if out of nowhere. He was just as she remembered him, only more handsome maybe. It hurt so much to see him. Why did he have to come back to her? She ducked her head, not wanting to look into his eyes, ashamed at the memory of the last time they'd seen each other, afraid to see pity in his gaze. She knew he had loved her, passionately, had wanted her, but of course, that was gone now. He couldn't possibly love her still, she was so pitiful... He'd probably moved on and that bothered her because what the hell was he doing here ? It was no coincidence, of course.

"Vicki? Please? " he pleaded, " Look at me. You can't act as if I wasn't there."

"Go away! " she whimpered, " Leave me alone, Henry! Why did you have to come back?! Can't you let me be?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I can't. You've put yourself in danger, coming here on your own, not having the protection of your friends anymore. You seem to have forgotten how dangerous it is for you out there..."

"As if you cared, Henry?" she sniffled. " You're the one who left me unprotected, remember?"

That hurt and she knew it : she knew exactly what she was doing, reproaching him with the one thing he reproached himself with too. He had known from the very moment he'd said goodbye it was a huge mistake, but he'd counted on his man in Toronto and on her friends to care for her. He couldn't have survived seeing her with Mike and being the "good friend" he sure didn't want to be.

"Do you really believe I don't know that?" he whispered, but she averted her eyes and smirked. That made him want to lash at her for all the anguish and guilt he'd felt ever since she'd chosen to vanish into thin air. "Don't you dare tell me I was careless with you. You were not unprotected. You ran away, Vicki, for God's sake!" he yelled at her, grabbing her arms and shaking her.

"So, this is why you are here, Henry? To chide me like a kid. I guess you're here because Mike and Coreen called for your Lordship's assistance, because, of course?" she added wickedly, " They probably knew the whole time where you were, right?! "

" Stop it, Vicki, you're becoming mean. This is not like you... ", he said sadly.

" Well, maybe you didn't know me so well, after all, Fitzroy! "

"Vicki", he went on, a pained look on his face, "They didn't know where I was, I swear, ok? They're good friends and you're sadly mistaken about them. They care for you... I care for you." He held up his hand to caress her cheek but she moved her head to the side and he let his hand drop and sighed.

"You care about me, Fitzroy? You care about me, really?! " she replied, mocking him. " What would it look like if you didn't, then! You left me, that's what it is. You never cared about anybody but your damned self. Screw you, Fitzroy! I was better off without you. This is the only good thing you ever did for me, after all : leaving me was a blessing. I couldn't care less about you. Now, please, humor me," she said, waving him away, a bitter smile on her face, "and don't ever, ever come to see me again. "

She suddenly realized that she'd gone too far, but it was much too late. Henry's eyes had become increasingly darker as she had been rambling on. The dark ink of his pupils had invaded the white of his eyes and for the first time she'd known him, she suddenly felt very scared of him. He bent towards her, his hands resting on both sides of her head on the tree trunk and curled up his lips, a predatory snarl making his long teeth glitter in the moonlight. She gasped as he opened his mouth and spelled out in his vampire's low, altered voice : "Don't ever talk to me like that again, Vicki. I love you. Don't you dare say I don't care about you. Understood?"

Seeing the fright in her eyes, he slowly relaxed and his eyes returned to normal. She was trembling from the night breeze and the terror she had just experienced. He wrapped his arms around her and she came to rest her head on his shoulder, nuzzling his neck. He gently stroked her head, caressing her hair, breathing in deeply the wonderful fragrance he'd missed so much. Her shivers receded but she did not leave his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his waist and dropped a light kiss on his neck. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I love you too," she whispered in his neck, nuzzling at it again, sending shivers down his spine.

Henry smiled dreamily, but couldn't help teasing her, wanting more; "What's that I heard, Victoria ? I'm not quite sure I got it right, you know, being old and all that..."

She poked at his side, making him laugh and repeated : "I love you, you dummy."

"My dear young lady, since you're part of the common people, it's Lord Dummy, if you please!" he bantered.

She snorted and looked up at him, her eyes twinkling. "Henry," she whispered, her voice hoarse from emotions too long repressed. "I missed you so very much..." That was all he needed to know.

He took her head in his hands and kissed her. The kiss was light and tender first but, feeling her respond to it, he pressed his lips with more urgency to hers, leaving one of his hands on her cheek still cupping her face while the other stroke her hair and then descended down her back and wrapped itself around her waist, pressing her to his body, making her gasp.

"Henry, please...", she moaned against his mouth.

"Is it a please to stop or do you wish me to go on?" he asked, his voice husky with desire.

_From now on (this chapter and the next ones), a few nods for the fans : I used quotes from the show (and a couple more from Vampire Diaries!): it's treasure hunting time ! ;)_

"Hey, what do you think you're doing, Fang Boy?!" Mike and Coreen were standing just a few feet from them and Mike was not looking happy, to say the least.

"What do you want, Constable?" Henry slowly turned his head towards Mike, his eyes darker than they were supposed to be. Coreen grabbed Mike's arm, her gesture a warning to lay low, but Mike plodded on.

"I don't like you being so close to her," he hissed.

"Define close," Fitzroy smirked.

"Sharing the same breath close, if you see what I mean!" he said, pissed off at seeing Fitzroy still holding her tightly against him. "Back off, your Lordship!"

Vicki tried to intervene but before she had the time to say anything, Mike glared at her. "Can it, Vicki! This is between him and me."

"Now, Constable, don't you think there are other more appropriate ways to talk to a lady? " he teased him. "Besides..." he went on, a predatory look on his face, "sometimes, I think you forget who I am..."

"Henry, stop it," Vicki said soothingly. "I'm yours for the taking, you know it. He still has to accept it, that's all. Don't be too harsh on him, will you?"

"Whatever you say, m'lady," he replied, kissing her forehead.

Coreen closed the distance between herself and Vicki. Henry took a step back and let the two friends hug. "I'm so glad to see you're ok," the goth girl said, sighing with relief. "Don't ever do that again. We were worried sick."

Vicki looked at Mike over Coreen's shoulder with an enquiring look. "Yes, I was worried too and yes, I'm pissed off that you left without a word," he winced but got closer and held out his arms. She came to wrap her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "I've missed you too," she told him and then stepped back. Mike turned towards Henry, trying to ease the tension, knowing he'd been wrong to lash at him earlier: "You know, Henry, you and I might be very different but we do have one thing in common - she drives us both insane!"

"Yeah, consistently!" Henry laughed, looking at him, his eyes merry, and wrapped his arm around Vicki's shoulder, kissing the top of her head, at the same time eying Mike to see how her former lover was going to react. He saw him cringe a little but he said nothing. After all, Vicki had made her choice.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Blood Ties - Passion : there's nothing else worth living for – Chapter 4

"Hey guys," said Coreen,"I don't know about you but I am getting hungry... Want to grab a bite?" she added, looking round at each of them expectantly, then realized she'd just goofed. "Oops, sorry, Henry, really!"

Henry laughed out loud. "Hey, don't worry, ok? I know it was just a way of speaking. But yeah, I forgot you guys might need to refuel. Let's find a cosy place, shall we?"

They spent the evening in the Bar Liverpool on South Wellington St and played pool until the bar closed at 3:00 a.m. Then they decided it was high time everybody got some rest. Henry dropped Mike and Coreen at the hotel and got his bag, then he and Vicki headed back to the university campus where she'd been given accomodation – a small apartment with a view on the main building. They agreed Mike and Coreen would take a taxi in the morning and have breakfast with Vicki around 10, time for her to settle the problem of her missed evening class.

When they got in the apartment, Henry dropped his bag near the entrance and went to sit on the sofa, took a deep breath and dropped his head in his hands. Vicki suddenly felt concerned. She got nearer, sitting on the coffee table in front of him.

"Hey, what is it, Henry?" she whispered, brushing one hand through his hair.

"Nothing. I'm good. Don't worry. I'll be okay. Just give me a second."

Then it dawned on her. "Henry, when was the last time you fed?"

He didn't raise his head and mumbled: "Two days ago. But I'm fine."

"No, you're not. I can see it. Look at me... Please?" she pleaded, worrisome.

He lifted his head, dark circles under his eyes, his jaw tense.

"Here," she said, cocking her head to one side so he could have access to her neck. "Take my blood."

"No, Vicki, no. I'll see to it tomorrow."

"No, you won't. We're not leaving Sherbrooke right now and I know it's someone else's turf. So, except he's a good friend of yours and is ready to share, you won't be able to feed until you get back to your own territory without causing trouble. By the way, how did you manage in Toronto?"

"I asked for a favor from the new landlord!" he replied sarcastically.

"Henry, please..." she insisted. "I'm worried..."

He looked at her intently then inhaled slowly. She came to sit on his lap, as she'd done in the bar a couple of hours before, suddenly realizing how hard it must have been to nuzzle her neck and not bite at it. He held her close and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then bent his head and bit into her fair skin. She gasped and held him closer to her, closing her eyes first from the pain and then from the delicious impression she had of feeling suddenly weightless.

Holding her like this after so much time thinking it was over, he'd never ever see her, feel her again, was intoxicating. He had to school himself to stop from drawing too much blood. He drew back and looked at her. She opened her eyes slowly, dreamily and sighed: "Better?" she said, looking suddenly very tired.

"Yes, thank you. Now, let me return the favor."

"No, Henry, don't. It's ok, I'll be fine in a minute."

"Doesn't that line feel like déjà vu?" he teased her, biting in his wrist and holding out his arm to her. She relented. He insisted, his eyes pleading. She took a deep breath and ducked her head, pressing her lips to his skin, sucking from the fresh wound. Then she pulled from it and let her head drop on his shoulder.

"You're drained, my love. Sleep..." he whispered.

"Henry, I don't want to sleep. If I do, you'll be sleeping yourself when I wake up and I've got so many things to tell you..."

"That can wait until tomorrow. I'm not going anywhere. Are you?", he asked, suddenly worried she might leave him again.

"No, I'm not, of course, no. But it feels so good being in your arms... See, I've been thinking about it all night, how much I needed more..." she added, suddenly self-conscious, ducking her head so he would not see her embarassment. Maybe this was not what he wanted. Maybe she was too forward. After all, she could remember conversations they'd had about how men did not treat women the right way, how hurried they were now, how nice it was to court a woman...

He tucked one finger under her chin and gently lifted it to look into her eyes. "Vicki," he said, laughing. "Are you asking me to make love to you?"

She nodded. "And you think I'm going to think badly of you for that?" He laughed more.

"Well, I don't know... Maybe you think we should wait?" she asked, wincing.

"Now, that's a sight to behold! Vicki Nelson, ashamed of confessing her desires!" She swatted him.

"Ouch! You're strong!", he teased her. "Vicki, if you fear I might be old-fashioned, you're damn right. Now, my brain is... but I'm afraid my body feels very modern! I've been wanting you ever since the moment I set my eyes on you. Besides, don't you think two years of foreplay followed by one year of abstinence are quite enough?" he added, lifting both eyebrows expectantly.

She grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him hard. It was not a gentle kiss - it was a demanding, hungry, starving one. When he could breathe again, he laughed: "I take it it's a yes, Victoria!", lifting her in his arms, and swiftly taking her to the bedroom.

Dawn found them wrapped in each other's arms, Henry's face in her hair, breathing in her fragrance, enjoying the moment, not thinking about what next. But of course, early morning was creeping in so he got up and shut the curtains.

"Vicki, it's time...", he whispered in her ear as he got back in bed beside her. "Time for the beast to get his beauty sleep," he bantered.

"Shut up, Henry, you're not a beast!" She was shocked to hear him say that. He'd probably spent too much time with Mike lately, she reflected.

"Well, I thought you'd think that, after the night we've had, lover!" He teased her, nuzzling her shoulder, making her blush at the memory of their first night together.

"Lover? Like in "I shouldn't be seeing you because this is forbidden love"?" she asked.

"No, stupid, like in "I love you and hope you love me too", that kind of lover – the one who'll write sonnets to declare his love and who'll fight till death to protect you," he replied, carressing her arm, then turned on his back. "Night, love," he said before drifting into sleep.

She slept a couple of hours then got prepared to meet up with Mike and Coreen. She dropped a light, tender kiss on his bare chest and left, locking the door. He'd be sleeping all day. She didn't want anybody to drop on him unawares.

She first went to the dean's office to apologize for feeling unwell the night before and arrange for a new session for her class then joined her friends in the park. Mike was looking forlorn but she disregarded his attitude: he needed time to adjust and she was too happy to fight with him over this that morning. They spent the day catching up when she was not teaching but when they were sitting for lunch after grabbing some takeaway from a sandwich place nearby, she sensed that Coreen had something on her mind but didn't know how to broach the subject. "Spit it out, Coreen!"

"What? What do you mean?" her friend said, embarrassed at the blunt question.

"Come on, I know something is bugging you!"

"Ok, ok..., " she licked her lips, forming the words in her mind, trying to put it diplomatically. "I was wondering if you and Henry had already decided on something. I mean, is he staying with you or are you leaving with him?"

"Well, Coreen, to tell the truth, we didn't exactly have the time to talk last night..." she replied, her voice trailing off, making Coreen blush from the innuendo.

Mike coughed, clearing his voice. "So you don't know what you're gonna do...yet?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't. He said he loved me, was ready to die for me, so I take it he's not leaving me, if that's what you want to know. Frankly speaking, the place where we live is quite irrelevant for me. Is that all you wanted to know?"

"Humm, Vicki", he started, glancing uneasily at Coreen. "What we really want to know is, is he going to turn you?"

"I... I, we didn't talk about that either." The conversation was really not going the way she'd imagined.

"He drew your blood, right?" he insisted.

"Yes, he did, but only because I told him – actually, I begged him – to do so. He would never have done it if I had not insisted."

"Oh, yeah, right: good vampire! As if, Vicki..."

She sensed Mike was getting on edge – again – and she didn't want that to happen. "Why can't you see the good in him?" she accused him.

"Because he's a vampire! He's no good, that's all. It's in his nature to hurt people."

"No, Mike! You're unfair with him. He actually gave me blood right after so I wouldn't feel weak."

"Oh, great! Now you've exchanged blood ! Ain't that cute!" he replied in a disgusted tone.

"Hey! Can I put my two cents in?! I feel kind of left out here!" They both turned to see Coreen's angry look. Mike opened his mouth but Coreen shushed him and raising her hand, she added: "Shut up, Mike! This is important. Vicki, how are you feeling?"

"As a matter of fact, Coreen, thank you for asking, I'm feeling great?3 she said, taking off her glasses and looking at both of them, for the first time in months not squinting as if she couldn't distinguish the people right in front of her. "I put these on this morning out of a habit, but really, I don't need them. I can even read what's written on the board over there, on the other side of the street," she added.

"Ok, that's weird..." Mike said.

"No, it's not. It actually happened before, when he was still in Toronto."

"So, tell me, Vicki," Mike started, "you're going to let him turn you just so you don't get blind?!"

"Well, you know, now you talk about it, that's an idea !", she replied, really pissed at his antics.

"Vicki, we're worried, that's all. We want to make sure you'll be ok before we head back to Toronto," Coreen said, trying to thaw the atmosphere.

"You're talking life-decisions, so to speak!" Vicki snorted. "How do you want me to make them so fast?"

"You and Henry must speak about all that asap, though," Coreen replied. "I'm just stating a simple fact, not trying to piss you off or push you in one direction or another." She held her finger at Mike as a warning, seeing he was not happy with what she'd just said. "He can't stay here. You could both return to Niagara Falls, to his new territory, but you need to organize your lives and as we all know, you don't have much time left before you get blind permanently." She winced at the thought but plodded on. "I'm sure he knows that too. Talk to him. We won't be in your way. I even think it would be wiser if we left now. You can always call us back if you need our help. I don't know about Mike but you can be sure of one thing – I'll support you, whatever the decision." She hugged her friend and looked at Mike expectantly, prompting him with a nod.

"Ok, Vicki, goth girl is probably right. I can't tell you I'll be happy if you become a bloodsucker but I could understand. Is that what you wanted to hear?" He asked Coreen, like a schoolboy waiting to know if he'd gotten the right answer. She beamed at him and Vicki gave him a poor smile, seeing how hard it had been for him to accept the situation.

Parting was not easy. There was lots of crying from Coreen, Vicki had a lump in her throat and Mike was trying to act like a man but he was feeling really low.

She got back to the apartment as the sun was setting. Good that she was not teaching that night because they definitely had a lot of talking to do.

She went to sit on the edge of the bed next to him and waited for him to wake up. He suddenly gasped as if coming back to life and looked around. When he saw her, his features relaxed, he grabbed her wrist and made her fall on top of him. "Hello, love," he said giving her his drop dead smile and a kiss. "How was your day?"

No point in beating around the bush here! "Mike and Coreen have left. They think it's better for us to be left alone to sort things out."

"They think ?" He look at her doubtfully.

"Well, Coreen does and Mike had to agree..." She admitted.

He laughed out loud. "Good girl!"

"So," he said, rolling her on the bed and sitting, "What shall we talk about?"

"You tell me!"

"Ok, I'll shoot first. I can't stay here. Are you coming with me?"

"Henry! This is quite blunt!"

"Sorry, love, but we don't have much time before the local vampire comes banging at this door, demanding that I get the hell out of here..."

"Ok, you want an answer? I like it here. It would have been good staying but I won't stay here without you so... so be it! I'm gonna send my apologies and resignation to the dean, 's all!"

He grinned. "Don't get yourself an attitude, mister! I'm in deep trouble now I don't have a job!"

"It's not as if you needed to make a living, Vicki. I've got enough for both of us," he stated.

"Come on, Honey," she mockingly drawled. "You know me, I'm not the housewife type."

"House-wife? Now, that's interesting! What part of that word don't you agree with? Because if you don't mind the wife part, husband material here!" he said, pointing at himself, giving her a broad, inviting smile.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Blood ties - Passion : there's nothing else worth living for – Chapter 5

"What is it, Victoria?" he said, grinning, seeing her speechless. "Are you chickening out ?!" he teased her.

"It's complicated..." she replied, looking awkward.

"Hey, that's my line!" he mocked her.

"I hate it when you do that!"

"I know." His grin broadened.

"Stop it, Henry!" She swatted him. "This is serious."

"Wow-oh, you've got to stop doing that if we must spend the rest of a lifetime – eternity ? - together," he said looking at her expectantly.

"Oh! Here we go! Mike and Coreen had seen it coming."

"Well, Vicki, it's not as if we – you – had a lot of time on our hands... You're getting blind, for God's sake!" She could see he was aggravated.

"I know," she stated calmly.

"Vicki, listen. When I left, I thought you would somehow cope with it, find a solution with Mike. Now, it's a very different thing. I guess we've settled you and I are staying together, haven't we?"

She was looking at him dreamily. "Yes?" he prompted. She nodded. She didn't want to have this conversation but she knew he was right. "So," he went on, "Let's face it. You have two options. Either you choose to live your human life and we'll cope with it... or you ask me to turn you and we'll cope with that too. That's your call." He looked at her intently, waiting for an answer.

"Henry, are you telling me you'd be ready to live with a blind, aging and eventually old and decaying woman?" She was dumbfounded. Henry loved women, beautiful and young women, and he was a womanizer.

"Yes, Vicki, this is what love and passion are about. This is what I feel for you. You've no idea... I searched for a woman like you throughout the centuries. It's your soul that's beautiful. The soul does not get old, it does not change because someone is blind. If this is what you want, I'll be honored to live this whole life with you." She felt tears prickling her eyes.

"What about the vampire thing? I thought two of your kind cannot live together more than a year or so," she prompted.

"That's quite true, generally speaking, but I've made research and heard about couples who've found a way of being together."

He went on telling her about some vampires who'd share territory, not exactly living together all the time, needing their private space, much like some modern couples, but spending quality time together. He'd even heard of a coven in South America, up in the mountains, who'd learned to school their aggressive behaviors so they wouldn't turn on one another. It required time and love but this was not what was missing between them, right?

"So, you see, it's your call. And don't look at me like that, Vicki, as if you expected me to give you the right answer – there's no right answer. What you'll choose will be the right decision." He said, cupping her face with one hand and looking into her blue eyes.

"This is also about you, Henry. This is also the choice of a human lifespan against eternity, as you said."

"No, love. I'll go with what you decide. I want you, whatever the way." He laid a hungry kiss on her lips then added: "You know what? Let's not rush into this. Let's pack your things and reach Niagara Falls before sunrise. We'll grab something for you to eat on the way. You'll get plenty of time to think about it on the way back."

Henry drove fast. Vicki was usually reckless but still, he scared her driving so fast, his left hand casually resting on the wheel while his right arm was wrapped around her shoulders, at times massaging her neck or caressing her hair. She didn't dare tell him because she knew it was vital for him to get home before the crack of dawn.

He stopped once to get gas and joined her in the station as she was picking a pack of cookies and a soda for her delayed dinner. He came to stand behind her, lifted blond strands of hair from her shoulder and kissed the base of her neck, sliding his hand around her waist. She sighed with content then froze, hearing the woman at the cash register whispering to her husband in a disapproving tone: "This is unnatural. She must be a decade older than he is..."

Henry steered Vicki towards the cashier's desk, tightening his hold on her waist, caressing her side to soothe her.

"You know, Ma'am," he said, to the lady with a charming smile, "That might be so but older women can be quite intoxicating... Besides, looks can be deceiving," he added, winking at her, making her blush. He turned to Vicki, planted a kiss on her nose and opened the door for her, doing a mock bow. "M'lady ?" he said, ushering her out.

The man and woman behind the counter were nonplussed. "Wow," the woman said wistfully, "she is one lucky girl!"

"From the way he acts around her, I'd say he is the lucky one," her husband countered.

They reached the car, doubling up in laughter. What Vicki didn't know though was that Henry had had Coreen on the phone after filling the gas tank. He had told her they were going back to his place and that they'd just had a serious talk about their future. Coreen knew he was ready to do anything for Vicki but she felt concerned when he said he was ready to live with her as a human being if she didn't want to be turned. "How will you feel when she dies and you still have the eternity on your hands, Henry?" she'd asked him worriedly. "You'll be left all alone. Even vampires have a heart! It's not healthy for you..."

"Coreen, if she chooses that solution, we won't have to worry about that. I won't survive her... And I forbid you to talk to her about it..."

If only he had known... Just right after he'd talked to Coreen – when they were having the unpleasant conversation with the woman at the gas station – Vicki had made her decision.

They arrived at 3:00 a.m. at his apartment. They'd talked in the car while she ate her cookies and made arrangements for the day ahead.

"Listen, Vicki," he'd said, "my apartment is not suitable for a human being. There's no kitchen and you can't live on takeaway food forever. I want you to call my contractor. He's a nice guy and worked on the place when I moved to Niagara Falls. I'd told him it was just an artist's studio so I didn't need one. Call him and tell him to drop by around 9:00 p.m. so we can discuss it. He's used to coming at night. I told him I didn't want to be disturbed during the day, when I work, so they worked on it at night. And take my credit card. Go shopping for whatever is missing – food, fridge, microwave oven... I want you to feel at home."

This was very considerate, she reflected. She knew it was a big step for him, having a woman home. She kissed him on the cheek and put her arm around his neck. "You know, I don't need much. I've told you so, no surprise here, I'm not the housewife type. I never cook, so microwave and fridge sound nice."

When she first stepped into his apartment, she was flabbergasted. It was the exact replica of his place in Toronto. He smiled at her reaction. "It's hard enough to have to change places every so often. At least, this feels like home," he said wistfully.

"You've been very lonely, haven't you?" she said, coming to wrap her arms around his waist.

"Yeah, but it's over. I got lucky." He smiled down at her. "Make yourself comfortable and get some sleep," he said, leading her to the bedroom. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I hope I can see the contractor early in the evening so I can leave right after."

She tensed. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere, my lady, do not fear. I just need to feed."

"Henry, I thought you'd take my blood from now on..."

"No way. Only in case of an emergency." He looked at her doubtfully. "What is it? There's something on your mind. I can tell from the worried furrow between your eyebrows. Yes, I know you well," he added, laughing at her surprised look. "So...?" he prompted.

"Are you going to make love to them... the girls you're going to feed on?" she asked in a small voice.

"Is that what's been worrying you?" She nodded. He tightened his embrace, his gaze still plunging into hers. "I think we need a little pep talk here. Maybe I should have explained earlier what I had in mind when I said lifetime or forever. I meant it, Vicki. It was like taking vows. And it's a promise I won't break. I've found my mate. There'll be no other women. I'll still feed on them and I'll do it gently, but from now on, you're the one... ok?"

She was staring at him, tears streaming down her face. "Ok?" he repeated. She nodded.

"Hey, don't you cry..." he pleaded, brushing the tears off her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't know what to expect. I'm not the over jealous type. I was scared I might lose you or that you'd tell me you couldn't do otherwise..."

He laughed. "Come on, Vicki. You don't have to be so self-conscious with me. Where's the old Vicki who kicked my ass a couple of times when she didn't agree with me?" he teased her, tickling her waist, making her squirm and giggle. "Now, that's better! Let's get you some rest and while you sleep, I'll work on my new graphic novel. Deadline is the end of the week and I'm darn late. My editor is gonna kill me!"

She burst out laughing. "As if he could!" Then she added before disappearing into the bathroom: "And you've got it all wrong, by the way. It's not graphic novel, your Lordship", she grinned at him wickedly, "they're called comic books!" she added, hurriedly closing the door before he could reach her. He smiled at the closed door. The old Vicki was back and she was all his.

When he woke up in the evening, his first thought was for her. He was still afraid she might disappear but she was there, in the living room, sitting on the floor, old books from his bookcase spread on the floor, a pen and notepad in hand. He noticed that she had her glasses on but thought it wise not to mention it yet.

"Evening, my dear," he said, bending over her and kissing her head. "What are you doing?"

"Hi," she said, lifting her head to get a kiss on her lips. "Been busy studying."

"I can see that..." he answered, taking a volume in his hand and flipping through it. "Vampire studying? Are you planning on a new teaching job?" he teased her.

"Nope, just curious, living with a vampire and all that, wanted to know about your history..."

"Ok, I don't mind. I should have known – you can't help being curious. That got you into trouble a lot of times, if I well remember... But it could prove helpful this time. By the way, did you go shopping?"

"Yep! Rented a huge fridge and a microwave oven. And got food too. They'll be delivered in about an hour."

"Good girl! That'll do for now until we get the kitchen. What about my contractor? What time does he come?"

"He's not coming," she said matter of factedly.

"Ok, didn't like the idea of a girl making the appointment, right? Let me call him before I leave," he said, looking for his phone.

"No, Henry, don't! I did not call him, 's why..." she said awkwardly.

"Vicki, I need to know you have all the comfort you need if you're going to live with me."

"I have all the comfort I need. Don't worry about that. Listen, why don't you go feed and we'll talk about that later, ok?"

"Now, you've got me worried. What's going on? I won't leave until you tell me."

"Please, Henry, humor me. I'm ok. We'll talk later in the evening," she insisted.

"Ok" He hugged her and gave her a long, tender kiss then grabbed his jacket and left.

He came back a couple of hours later, feeling refreshed but still worried. She was sitting on the couch, eating yoghurt and cereals.

"Now, Vicki, you're not reasonable. You need to put meat on those bones! You've lost weight and you're not eating properly. Let me take you to a restaurant so you can have a proper meal," he said, holding out his hand for her to join him.

She shook her head and patted the seat next to her: "Come and sit down, Henry, we need to get this over with."

_Now what_, he thought, feeling anguish tighten his stomach.

"Hey, relax," she laughed. "You asked me a simple question before we left Sherbrooke and I intend to give you a simple answer, 's all!"

"Hey, you don't have to rush into this..."

She shushed him. "Let me talk, will you? I made my decision when we left the gas station but I wanted us to settle before I gave you an answer. This is my final decision. You said it was my call so I don't want to discuss it – you listen, you agree and then you do as I say, 'kay?" she said, looking at him enquiringly.

"Yes, Ma'am," he said, saluting.

"All right, Henry, I want you to turn me and that means no waiting – I want it now."

He gasped and looked at her, speechless. "Ok, but..."

"What part of no argument did you not understand?" she said with a mock threatening look.

"Do you want to do it now because you're losing your eyesight?" he couldn't help asking. "Yes, I saw the glasses!" he added, wincing.

"Nope, not doing that because of my eyes. I know you can help me with that, at least for a time, if you give me more blood. No, it's simply because I'm sure of what I want and when I want something, I sure don't like to wait to get it. Listen, Henry," she added, caressing his hand, "I realized in that gas station that having you for a lifetime was simply not enough. Forever is more like it..." Then she added before he could reply: "But to tell you the whole truth, I'd rather have all my senses to take advantage of every single moment we have together. I couldn't bear not seeing your face every evening when we wake up." She leaned towards him and kissed him.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Blood ties - Passion : there's nothing else worth living for – Chapter 6

They got tangled in a long, passionate kiss for what seemed like hours, cuddling on the couch, not wanting to let go of that moment. He felt like, by telling him she wanted him to turn her, she'd just taken her vows, accepting his proposal, the closest they would ever get to getting married. He eventually broke the embrace and got up, telling her he'd be right back.

When he re-entered the room, he was holding a small black satin box. "This was originally a jewel I used to wear on a ring when I was still human. My father had given it to me. I had it altered to fit on this necklace for you," he added, opening the box. "I thought it appropriate you should have something from me when we began our life together..." His voice trailed off, suddenly uneasy at how she would react. On a bed of black velvet sat a white gold chain necklace with a blue sapphire in the middle, shimmering like the water from a cold glacier stream. "Wow, it's beautiful! I can't wear that, Henry, it's too old and precious," was all she could find to say.

"Something old, Vicki... tradition, so to speak!"

She laughed uneasily. She felt deeply moved by his gift. Then it dawned on her. "Wait a minute! When did you have this made? We've just come back..."

"Three years ago, when we met..." He had a sheepish look that made her laugh heartily.

"Henry, you're something, you know that?"

"Romantic type, I guess. Doesn't wear off with time. Now, will you accept it?"

She nodded. He took the necklace from the box and leaning towards her, he clasped it around her neck, kissing her all the while.

"It suits your eyes so well..." he commented, gazing dreaming at the necklace, then locking his gaze with hers.

"Is it going to be painful?" she whispered.

"Very much, yes, I'm afraid so."

It was so much like her to be so blunt about the most serious things. He should have known she'd broach the subject immediately. Still, that hurt to say it out loud. He didn't want her to suffer, didn't want to see her suffer, didn't want to think about it.

"I thought so," she stated calmly. "How are we going to do that? I'd like to know what's awaiting me."

"Ok..." He breathed in deeply then he launched into the technical explanations. "I'll feed on you, than you'll drink my blood, then I'm afraid I'll have to kill you." He winced, waiting for her reaction.

" 'kay. I would appreciate if you did it fast. I don't want to see it coming, if you don't mind..."

He could sense the words he'd uttered had sunk in and she was getting nervous. He rubbed her hands in his. "Hey, don't worry. I'll do my best. And I'll be there when you wake up."

"So, that's it? I die and awake a vampire? Easy peasy!" she bragged.

"No, Vicki, that's just the beginning. The painful part is after. I can assure you you'll feel nothing when I kill you but I cannot do miracles. The next couple of weeks are going to be extremely difficult."

"Explain..."

"You will have to get rid of your human part. That's what makes new vampires suffer – letting go. As long as the old you struggles for life, you'll hurt. You'll still feel things from your human life, the need to eat, drink, sleep... only magnified. At the same time, the craving for blood will be so intense, you won't be able to resist it. This is why, if you still want to do it, I'll take you to an isolate place with no humans around so you don't kill someone by accident."

"So, how are you going to feed me first? Blood bags, animals..."

"No, Vicki, you'll feed on me. This is why the bond between the new vampire and his parent is so intense at first, because I'll be feeding you like a baby. You'll also have to start from scratch, learn everything again, and I'll be the one to teach you. At first, the infant vampire doesn't remember a thing. He even sometimes turns on his parent, tries to kill him, vents off his anger at him." He saw tears in her eyes and cuddled her. "But that's ok. This is the way it has to be."

"How will you feed? You can't go without blood that long!" she worried.

"I'll have to and will be drained by the time it's safe to leave you so I can feed on game or occasional human beings unlucky enough to come in the vicinity. I just hope it won't take too long. I read about women vampires faring better at coping with their new condition. Christina had told me so. I hope you'll fall into that category."

"So, where's that place you're taking me?"

"Algonquin Provincial Park. It's a 6-hour drive from here, if you abide by the law, which I don't," he added as an after-thought, smirking, "and I know the place. I sometimes rent a hunting lodge there when I need to get away from the city."

"Hunting lodge, huh? Didn't know you were the hunting type!" she teased him.

"See, Vicki, this is why I love you... No woman I've ever known would be joking in a time like this. Most men wouldn't either." He caressed her arm, then added: "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Positive," she pledged.

"So, let me get myself organized and we will be there in a couple of days. In the meantime, you may want to go and see your friends..."

"Nope, can't do that! I'm not that strong, Henry. Call them when it's done, will you? I couldn't bear to see the hurt or pity or disgust in their eyes." Seeing him looking at her doubtfully, she added: "Remember? My call, you promised!"

She'd been writhing in pain for what felt like days. She was burning inside and burning all over. It was like scalding needles boring into her all the time, no moments of ease, not even unconsciousness. And now, she was begging him to kill her, drive a dagger through her heart and let her rest in peace. He was weeping for the first time in his long existence. How could he possibly go on watching her suffer like this for days on end. She'd only woken up to her new existence for less than a day but to him, too, it felt like a lifetime in hell.

He hadn't moved from her side since she'd come back from the dead. He had held her close to him, restraining her hands so she wouldn't hurt herself as she tried to claw at her skin. He knew what she was feeling. He'd experienced it himself ages ago. Skin burning as if thrown onto a stake. Nothing compared to that, not even the Heart of Fire Mendoza had used to torture him.

He had started feeding her his own blood as soon as he'd felt her relax a little. She'd been clinging to his shoulders, pulling him towards her fangs, sucking the blood, starving so much she couldn't stop and he'd had to fling her aside before she started bleeding him into unconsciousness. She was wild, not listening to a word he was saying, only bent on getting more. He had told her to rest but she would not listen, cowering in a corner of the room like a trapped animal. He could see that she was beyond understanding or even recognition. When he'd called her name, she'd cocked her head to the side, hearing the sound, not understanding the meaning. He had known from the very start it wouldn't be easy but this was reality, and that was a complete different matter.

Relief finally came with dawn and they both slid into sleep. When they woke up, he saw she was starting to feel a little better. He bent over her, tucking his arm under her head as she was struggling to keep her eyes open. "Hello, love, recognize me?" he whispered tentatively.

"Henry?", she asked.

"Yeah, that would be me! Remember your name?"

"Vicki?" she said, unsure.

"Good girl!" He rewarded her with a bright smile and a light kiss on her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Better... need food and... drink," she fumbled for words.

"You're hungry?" he said, getting up, rummaging through the supplies he'd brought and found chocolate bars and a soda that he handed her.

She wolfed down the chocolate, moaning with pleasure and looked at him self-consciously. "Your human part is still struggling within you..." he told her. "Don't worry, it will pass. Now, what about the pain? Do you still hurt?"

She nodded, tears in her eyes. "Want something to soothe it?" More nodding. "Okay then. I brought whisky and Propofol. Don't ask me how I got it, not legal! Which one do you want?"

"No shots," she said, "hate needles..."

"Ok, we'll keep that in case things get ugly." He got a bottle of whisky from the kitchen cabinets. "I cannot tell you for sure that it will kill the pain but it'll certainly ease it. Here you go," he said, handing her a glass full of the amber liquid. She gulped it down and then thrust it at him, asking for more.

"Wow, Victoria, are you sure you wanna do that? I don't want to have to babysit a very drunk baby vampire!" But he reluctantly complied.

By the end of the night, she was finally relaxing and had even once sighed with content, agreeing to lie on the bed with him, her head resting on his shoulder. He'd fed her more of his blood but this time she'd been reasonable. Things were after all getting better than he had anticipated.

A couple of days later, she'd totally abandoned her craving for human food, saying it felt tasteless and even very unpleasant, as when you didn't put salt in a dish. She still felt very sleepy when she woke up at night and still hurt a lot but she'd seen the hurt in his eyes every time she'd moaned so she'd started schooling herself to suffer in silence, only wincing at times when he was not looking her way. She'd not asked for Propofol because it scared her to rely on it, though she would have gladly used some ease, the whisky's effects having worn off even when she took heavy doses of it.

As the pain slowly receded, other issues surfaced, namely craving for blood and sex.

He'd felt she was finally ready to leave the cabin and try her hand at feeding on animals and she'd done good. He'd finally been able to feed too but was still weak and knew they'd both very soon need human blood, which they got the next day when they accidentally met some hikers camping out in the nearby woods. Vicki was learning fast and her first time was a success. She didn't kill, she didn't even hurt, she even succeeded in only drawing what she needed, not more.

The sex part, though, was a very different story... As soon as they got back to the lodge, Henry clearly saw something was on her mind. She closed the door behind her, laying her back on the wooden panel and stared at him, biting her lower lip.

"What is it, Vicki?" It was not that he was scared, no, but he'd heard stories about baby vampires being much stronger than their parent and he was afraid he would be no match if she decided to bully him.

"I want you, now!" She looked at him with hungry eyes and it suddenly dawned on him that she didn't want to fight with him, only that he had a very horny vampire in front of him.

"Vicki, let's take time to ponder this, ok? It might not be wise right n..." He never finished his sentence. She reached him before he could react, having suddenly gained great velocity, and was now pushing him on the bed, at the same time kissing him wildly, unbuckling his belt.

"Vicki, no! Sex between vampires can be quite wild. I don't want to hurt you." He tried to get hold of her hands but she was faster and stronger, the little brat!

"Oh, but you're not going to hurt me, your Lordship and I promise I'll try not to either," she added with a devilish grin, proceeding to tearing his shirt and unbuttoning his jeans. "Now, take that off!" she told him, pointing at his remaining clothes.

"Hey! Don't you dare order me around, Vicki!" he shouted in indignation. "I'm the one in charge here!"

"Not any more, my Sire. You promised you'd do anything I wanted, the way I wanted it, remember?" She grinned at him. "You've got a very pissed and yes, horny, new vampire in front of you. Now is the right time to make her satisfied... and she won't take no for an answer!"

She took off her clothes slowly, her eyes locked in his as he was reluctantly getting rid of his, scowling at her. "You're so gonna pay for that, Victoria," he warned.

"Don't care!" she replied, a smug look on her face. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Then she climbed onto the bed, pushed him on his back and in one swift move, sat on top of him, straddling him, her knees on each side of his hips, making him moan. "I hope you're refreshed from the blood you've just had because I won't stop until I'm finished with you!"

"Oh, boy!" was his last thought before he forgot about anything but her hands on him and how the hell he was gonna have to account for the broken furniture!

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Blood ties - Passion : there's nothing else worth living for – Chapter 7

It was her first meeting with her friends since she'd been turned and she was feeling very nervous.

"How are they going to react, Henry? Will they still like me?"

"Babe, you're their friend and they love you, like doesn't apply here! I'm sure they're very nervous too. They called almost every day since you've been turned to know how you were doing. Everything's gonna be ok, you'll see."

Coreen was the first to enter the apartment. She took a step forward towards Vicki to hug her but Henry stopped her, raising a protective arm in front of her. "Now, young lady, you really don't want to do that! Baby vampire has sharp teeth and no sense of restraint," he added, wincing apologetically.

"Hello," said Vicki, smiling self-consciously at both her friends. "I would love to hug you but, you know, right now, Daddy says it's not safe for you. He told me I should behave... Got a whole lecture before you arrived, believe me!" She snorted, mocking Henry, clearly wanting to play with his nerves.

"Vicki..." he warned her. "Don't let your anger build up again. What did I tell you? You know how to act like a good girl when you really want to," he chided her.

"Hey, do you want us to come back later?" Mike offered. "It seems like we've just walked into an unfinished parent-kid brawl..."

"No, it's ok, Mike. We've rehearsed it several times, haven't we, Victoria? You know what you have to do... She's just going to follow my advice and everything will go just fine. She's just got anger issues right now..."

"Don't patronize me! And don't talk about me like that in front of my friends as if I wasn't here or something!" She stomped her foot, obviously pissed off.

"Now, Vicki, stop acting like a child..." He didn't have the time to finish his sentence that she elbowed him hard in the ribs, sending him flying to the other side of the room. He fell hard on the floor, then immediately got to his feet, crouching and snarling at her, his eyes dark, his voice altered, his fangs bared at her. "Vicki, now, that's enough! We talked about that a hundred times. You do not hit your parent!" His voice boomed in the enclosed space.

Mike and Coreen were doubling up in laughter.

"Well, Fitzroy, I guess you've got a very angry teenager on your hands right now!" Mike mocked him.

Henry gave him a scolding look. "Shut up, Celluci! She'll learn...in due time..."

"Hum, I don't want to aggravate you but, 'ya know, seeing the present situation, you might need to join a support group for abused parents!" Mike said wickedly.

Coreen gave him a warning look then turned to Henry. "I thought it worked the other way round," she said. "You'd said baby vampires worshipped their parents then suddenly turned on them. Has she skipped the baby period?"

"Not exactly, she's still very sweet at times, following me around like a puppy," he replied, motioning for her to come near him and took her in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder, cuddling her like a little girl. "But Vicki being Vicki..." His voice trailed off and he winced, embarrassed.

"I do what I want to do, when I want to do it!" She finished his sentence and beamed at him. Then she added: "Kiss?"

Coreen raised an eyebrow at Fitzroy. "Yeah, she also has sudden cravings like this. Very childish behavior I must say." He looked down at Vicki. "What's the magic word?"

"Please?" She whined.

Mike couldn't help laughing. "Now, that's new! Vicki begging for a kiss!"

"Shut up, Mike!" she snarled at him.

He raised both hands in surrender and took a step back, still laughing, knowing Henry was there as backup, if need be. "Wow-oh, Vick'! Still the same bundle of nerves, are we?" he teased her.

"Here," Fitzroy said to Vicki, rubbing her back then massaging her neck, trying to soothe her. "Let's all sit down, shall we, and have a nice little chat between friends? You don't want to scare them off, do you?"

"Come on, Henry, they know me. I growl but I don't bite."

"Huh, huh, wrong example here!" He told her, chuckling.

"So..." Mike said, "What are you two gonna do now?"

"Well," Henry glanced at Vicki, clearly embarrassed, "Vicki and I are gonna stay here until the end of term, time for her to adapt, then we'll move to Vancouver. I'm in the process of buying the territory from the current resident. I'm optimistic about the negotiations so I've already pulled a few strings. Vicki will be teaching Criminology at Vancouver Island University next September."

The room was suddenly very quiet. Then Coreen gulped and whispered: "So you're leaving us?"

"No, we're not. We'll always keep in touch, that is, if you wish for it. We know it's going to be hard for you to accept the situation so it's your call..." Henry replied.

"Of course, we do... I mean, want to keep in touch," Mike stated miserably, then he added, trying to brighten everybody's mood: "Vick' the vampire, teaching criminology, well, you can bet on one thing. I'll travel to Vancouver just to behold that sight!" Vicki made a lunge for him but Henry was faster this time and stopped her hand as she was going to punch Mike.

They all burst out laughing.

Life was not such a bitch, after all, Vicki reflected. She still had battles to fight, thinking of the ominous marks on her forearms that had not disappeared when she'd turned, and most probably ordeals to suffer but they were together and had true friends they could count on. Adversity could come if she dared! She was ready to kick her ass!

She smiled at Henry and saw the same flicker of happiness dancing in his eyes.

At last, he thought, life can begin.

_Hope you liked it :)_


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